Thought Experiment

Thought Experiment

A thought experiment is something that is used to trigger different emotions and thoughts in a person and is used to evaluate how a person reacts to different situations (Ludwig, 128).  In philosophy, thought experiments are used to test how a person relates to moral reasoning, different philosophical ideas, different theories, and different philosophical situations. There are no fixed thought experiments that a philosopher can use to guide their thoughts or those of their followers.

However, a philosopher can form his thought experiments when looking at different scenarios and propose experiments to the people who relate to them. Such thoughts trigger a philosopher to engage in critical thinking and to evaluate life in various dimensions (Ludwig, 131). For instance, if a man sees a child who is about to fall into a well, what would trigger his thought of saving the child? Would it be to keep the child safe, or would it be so that he is recognized as a hero? Would it be so that he gets gratitude from society, or would it be so that he can feel good about himself?

Thought experiments challenge a person to think beyond the obvious, especially the norms that people believe in. In the case of the child falling into the well, most people would want to believe that the man saves the child because of the instant thought to save a life. However, looking deep into the life of a person and their thoughts, they could have different thoughts that trigger them to act in a certain way (Ludwig, 143). In the book “The Good, The Truth and The Beautiful” by Michael Boylan, the theory of thought experiment is introduced. The readers are supposed to understand the aesthetic value of art and how it controls the life and feelings of the viewer. The book tries to encourage the reader to see art as an explanation of innate feelings.

The Elements of Thought Experiment in “The Good, The Truth and The Beautiful”

The thought experiment created in the book is the social salvation purpose of poetry in the life of human beings. The author attempted it describes the relationship between art, specifically poetry, concerning the beauty and the goodness of life. He proposes that when a person has a deep understanding of poetry, he or she has a connection with all things good and beautiful (Boylan, 1740. The role of the poet when writing his work is to introduce his readers to a different version of beauty, allowing them to savor the goodness of life in a more profound sense.

Further, the poet allows their reader a chance to be able to practice good in their lives because a human being is a product of what they read and experience. If a person is exposed to good, he becomes a good person and practices good behavior all through.   The problem raised in the thought experiment is the determination of whether poetry is the medium through which people are introduced to good. Is poetry the salvation to social problems, or is it just a piece of art. The thought experiment also seeks to propose that people who are not lovers of poetry might not have the chance to experience good or to enjoy the beauty of life.  The challenge posed by the thought experiment in Boylan’s book is whether; poetry is the only true way to have an experience with the good, the truth, and the beauty of life.

Relevant Practical and Theoretical Philosophical Principles and their Application to the Problem

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the appreciation of art, beauty, and good taste. Aesthetics can also be described as thorough and a critical analysis of pieces of art and their relevance to the viewer or the producer (Carter, 88). In a broader sense, aesthetics can be described as the study of values and value judgments. It is broader than the mere appreciation of art and beauty because it requires a person to look deep into a piece of art and figure out the deep hidden meanings. For instance, in poetry, the audience requires to have an in-depth understanding of the discussed aspects and to understand how they relate to the life of a human being.

Boylan has used aesthetics in his work as he discusses the role of poetry in the quest to discover good, truth, and beauty in the world. Poetry, according to Boylan, is the connection between the world and the beauty that lies beneath the feelings of people. It is a medium that people need to apply in their lives so that they can connect with the deep beauty, truth, and goodness that life has to offer (Boylan, 174). Truth, as discussed by Boylan, is the mist innate feelings of a person. A man can look like they are happy with the physical appearance but could be languishing in pain deep down in their souls.  When such a person writes a poem, they let out their deep feelings of anger and frustration and allow their readers to resonate with them. When one has read a poem and understood the emotions and feelings conveyed in it, they can declare to have discovered the truth in their life or the life of the poet.

Solution to the Problem Set Out in the Thought Experiment

The problem that is highlighted in Boylan’s book is the determination of whether poetry s the true medium which introduces beauty, truth, and good in the life of a human being. Poetry is indeed a search into the deepest feelings of a human being, paying attention to the emotions that are often ignored and hidden under layers of emotion in the life of a person (Carter, 94). When someone likes something or something else, they can let out their emotions in the form of a poem. They introduce the reader or the audience to their most sincere feelings. There is a beauty in having to understand the sincerity in the words of a human being that have been communicated in a poem.

Poems are sometimes written in coded languages, ones that require the audience to think critically so that they understand the message in the poem (Carter, 98). The coded language is sometimes a mask to cover the naked truth and to allow only the people who are interested in the truth to have access to the message conveyed. Such poems require a person to search for the truth sincerely. For instance, a person who wants to talk about the possibility of a political revolution could do so in a poem that is written in a coded language. However, due to the sensitivity of the matter, only the people who want to understand the political dimensions of a country can decipher the language used in the poem.

Poetry is, however, not the only form of art that can convey deep and sincere feelings to the audience. Other mediums such as pictures, paintings, sculptures, and music can also be used to deliver the messages of beauty, truth, and good to the audience. Art, generally, is the strongest medium that can assist the audience to get a taste of the beauty, truth, and goodness that the world has to offer.

Reflecting on the Solution to the Thought Experiment

Poetry is one of the most beautiful pieces of art, especially for people who can understand it. Poetry requires critical thinking and a passion for the topic under discussion, for a person to be able to understand the hidden meanings in the poem. I believe that poetry allows the reader or the audience to savor the goodness, truth, and beauty of a sincere soul, primarily because most poems are written from the depths of the heart. Most poets talk about their most sincere feelings on any subject matter, telling a tale of what they regard as the truth. I believe that the beauty of being a poet is the ability to communicate feelings, emotions, and fetishes that cannot be communicated through any other medium. The beauty of poetry for the intended audience is the ability to connect with some of the most private, yet heartfelt ideas from the poet. The beauty elucidated from a poem is only felt by the person who reads, understands, and experiences the truth and goodness manifested in a poem.

The most important point of the thought experiment is the highlight it provides for poetry as a social salvation. I imagine that if people were conversant with the details of poetry and the meanings that are hidden in the poems. They would be able to understand so many aspects of life. Artists are observers, and they communicate their messages through art. Poets are very detailed in the way they convey their messages, and therefore, poetry is a perfect medium for truth, beauty, and good.

I agree with Boylan that poetry is the salvation that is needed in the human social life, so that people can understand the innate beauty of the life they enjoy. A person needs to be well conversant with poetry because sometimes, seeing things in their present form does not unearth the beauty that lies deep down in their existence. At the same time, words that are written in sincerity carry a heavy aura of truthfulness and are capable of converting people to be good in their lives. Sincerity speaks to the heart and mind of a person and has a huge influence in impacting a person. Poetry carries this level of sincerity, and it is a perfect platform for people to understand the truth, the beauty and the good in life.

Works Cited

Boylan, Michael. The Good, The True And The Beautiful. London: Continuum, 2008. Print.

Carter, Mary C. “Volitional aesthetics: A philosophy for the use of visual culture in art education.” Studies in Art Education 49.2 (2008): 87-102.

Ludwig, Kirk. “The epistemology of thought experiments: First person versus third person approaches.” Midwest studies in philosophy 31.1 (2007): 128-159.